As with all other communication formats, the glory’s in the story, but
getting an effective work-related podcast off the ground requires more than
scintillating content. To start, you’ll need
equipment. You’ll also need a plan. These questions are crucial:

Who is your target audience? Do you want to reach all your colleagues, or
just a certain group?

What types of formats and segments do you plan on recording?

What sorts of content will you cover?

How will you promote your podcast—internally and externally?

If it’s strictly an internal podcast, how do you plan to secure leaders’
buy-in?

What kind of ROI do you anticipate, and which metrics will you
prioritize?

Creating a new podcast is no small commitment. For some, the best podcast
strategy might be to appear on
more-established programs.

Starting a podcast for work—either external or internal—can be a powerful
way to communicate, but it's a commitment. Anyone who says doing a podcast
is easy has either never done one or never done it well.

Often you can get much better return on investment being a guest on other
established shows.

Schwab emphasizes that guests must merely "perform," whereas the podcast
host handles the recording, editing and promotion. There’s also the
potential of reaching a larger audience.

Schwab points to data presented in the
2017 State of Podcast Interviews Study—which surveyed more than 10,000 podcasters, guests and marketers—and
showed that podcast interviews yielded the “highest ROI of any marketing
channel.” (Facebook ads and email marketing ranked second and third,
respectively.)

Go for podcast launch

For those dead set on creating their own podcast, Alessandra Colaci, founder
of Influence Buzz, says you
should treat your podcast launch like a TV show. She advises:

The key when you first launch a podcast is to start building awareness
before your first episode. You can use teasers about the launch date, and
also include images of upcoming guests. Reach out to potential promotional
partners to see if they can help you spread word about the podcast.

Production and audio quality are important, but they should not be a
hindrance to getting started. Shows often evolve over time in terms of the
quality and the format. Investing in a decent starter microphone can be as
little as $50.

One of the most underused promotional methods of podcasts is to treat it
like a TV show. Take a cue from how companies like Netflix promote upcoming
season premieres and episodes. They use clips, get fan reactions, and make
bite-sized content pieces from each episode. With your podcast, create
similar content such as videos that are animated text from a quotable
moment, graphics that highlight the topic, or an image with a review from a
listener.

Assemble a “pod squad” of people with varied strengths and
expertise.
You’ll need someone with expertise in IT to set up the hardware, a
marketing person to design the format and messaging of the show, and a
PR pro to help promote it.

Use high-quality equipment to record your voices.
I recommend a Yeti
microphone, pop-filter and headphones. We use Skype to connect with
remote guests, and we use
Audacity to record and edit.

When you’re trying to get co-worker buy-in, seek their input for
things like logo design and intro sounds.

Seek guests you have access to.
We tapped into our own clients with niche expertise as guests. Prior to
interviewing, we researched trending and relevant topics for discussion
and tested the equipment. (We work in an office, not a soundproof room,
so we minimized sound by letting colleagues know there was a recording
session in progress.)

When it comes to editing your sessions, teach everyone on your pod
squad how to use the software.
Podcasts are not a one man/woman show, and it could be the
difference between launching the show in one month versus three.

Just like you’d unveil any other initiative, you have to undertake a
marketing campaign. Is it going to be just one more channel? What’s in it
for them?

Before launching anything, Holtz suggests crystalizing what you hope to
accomplish:

Is your goal to get them to adopt new behavior? What’s the purpose? Is it
strictly entertaining, or feature-oriented? Is it to reinforce your values?
Do you want to offer how-tos? Is it for convincing people, or a vehicle to
organizational changes? Is it for news or to supplement company news?

If you’re not sure where to start, Holtz offers a few beacons. Try
interviewing interesting, gregarious people in the company. Let them tell
their stories and share about the work they do.

Holtz points to Pepsi, which aired podcast episodes featuring executives
candidly answering employee-submitted questions. Holtz referenced Quaker
Oats, as well, which used podcasts to inform employees in the lead-up to
the launch of its “30-day Oatmeal Challenge” campaign. Quaker Oats aired an interview with their chief nutritionist to
reinforce the science underpinning the initiative.

Podcast format and content is another key issue. What should you talk
about? Holtz says “fast-paced news roundups” are a reliable option. As for
time, he recommends shooting for a sweet spot of 10–12 minutes—possibly
even shorter. Don’t ask too much of employees.

However, the world is your audio oyster here. Give the people what they
want. You can use your program to explain upcoming marketing and
advertising campaigns. It can be a platform to convey company benefits,
announce staff events, discuss industry trends—or just be an uplifting
forum to boost morale. Whatever you do, just make sure you nail down a core
purpose. As Holtz says:

Don’t just chase the shiny object; use podcasting when it serves you. Then
promote it.

Here are more podcast tips from Holtz:

Hosting and distribution can be a challenge. You can either pay for an
account or host it on a server and pay data costs. Libsyn.com is designed to host
podcast files.

For internal marketing, use whatever channels you have access to. If you
have digital signage, use that. If you have an intranet, use prime real
estate for podcast promotion. Link to the podcast in your newsletter.

When you launch the podcast, view it as a marketing campaign. How do you
market your new benefits or intranet? Build excitement and awareness.

To gauge whether a podcast is worthwhile, you must measure metrics. Find
out how many people are listening to it. Don’t expect too much, though.
Holtz says: “Podcasts won’t be the primary communication channel, but if
you’re getting 20 to 30 percent listening, that’s compelling stuff. Ask: Do
people take action? Does it change opinions and behaviors? Find out if
people are doing something because of listening.”